Threading block



Feb. 15, 1944.

l. $NOW' THREADING' BLOCK Filed. Dec. 29, 1941 INVENTOR. ISAAC 5N0 MATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 1 5, 1 944 THREADING BLOCK Isaac Snow, Lawrence, Masa,assignor toDrapeif Corporation, Ho'pcdale, Mass., a corporation of MaineApplication December 29, 1941, Serial No. 4245686 2 Claims. (o1.1394.23)

This invention relates to an improvement in threading blocks forshuttles to be used in automatic filling replenishing looms.

In looms where the filling carrier in the shuttle is automaticallyreplaced when the filling thereon is exhausted and a new filling carrieris substituted Without delaying the operation of the loom, means must beprovided for getting the new filling threaded through the side deliveryeye of the shuttle and in proper operating position. It is desirablethat this be accomplished as soon after transfer of the new fillingcarrier as possible.

It is well known in the loom art that the incoming fillingend can bethreaded through the side delivery eye during the course ore pluralityof picks of the loom.

Usfuallythe filling is partially threaded in the threading block on thefirst pick and placed in such a position that on a subsequent pick itwill be completely threaded and deposited in the side delivery eye. a oo In employing this method for threading the shuttle, the difiicultyoften arises that during Io'dm' operations subsequent to the transferthe" filling becomes unthrea'ded from the partially threaded blockbefore it can be secured in the side delivery eye. When this happens"the 100m must be stopped and the defect repaired, with theresultantfloss of time and decrease in productive ca pacity.

In attempting to firm a solution for this aim:

culty, ithas been proposed to provide an auxiliary mechanical; orpneumatic device which Would thread the filling through the sidedelivery eye in coordination with the transferring operation, and

before the first pick. Such devices have not'proverr-commerciallysuccessful.

It is an object of the present invention to provide for use in anautomatic filling replenishing loom a threading blockin a shuttle whichwill cause the filling from areplenished filling carrier to be threadedthrough the block and deposited in the side delivery eye during theflight of the shuttle on the first pick after transfer.

It is a further object of this invention toprovide for use in anautomatic filling replenishing loom a threading block for a shuttle inwhich the thread guiding surfaces are so formed that a filling fror'n acarrier placed-in the shuttle will be induced to be threaded through thethreading blockand become deposited in-the side deliveryv eye inanoperative position' from which it cannot escape while the shuttle istravelling away from the filling replenishing mechanism of the loomduring the first pick of the shuttle after transfer.

These and other objects may be accomplished" the the magazine, where itexpeditiously than has been of the portion of the shuttle containing mythreading block, showing the form and direction of the thread passage inthe'bl'ock.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the threading block alone taken on theline 4 -4 of Fig. 1.

Fig; 5 is a sectional view of the threading block alone takenapproximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

In the following description of the relative location of parts theshuttle will be considered as resting in the shuttle box on the side ofthe loom containing the magazine and transfer mechanism. In thisposition, outwardly will be taken to mean a direction away from theselvage of the cloth and toward the adjacent side of the loom;

.- forwardly will denote a direction toward the front of the 100m,

During the normal-operation of a loom, when the filling on the fillingcarrier in use in the shuttle becomes exhausted a feeler mechanism on100m detects the absence of'fi'lli'ng and causes a transfer mechanism tobe placed in operation to put a new filling carrier in the shuttle andeject the old one therefrom. After transfer, a filling endextends fromthe new filling carrier to is secured to a thread holder.

Before the loom can operate properly, it is necessary thatthe' fillingfrom the filling carrier be led through the side delivery eye in theshuttle from whence it can run to be laid in the shed as the shuttle ispicked back and forth across the lay. 7 It is the purpose of thethreading block to receive the new filling end and automatically toconduct it to the side eye and deposit it therein in proper operatingposition. All of the foregoing procedure is well known in the loom art.

The present invention is concerned with a means for conducting a fillingend from the filling carrier in the shuttle to the side delivery eyemore done heretofore.

The drawing shows part of. ashuttle" I of a type commonly employed inautomatic filling replenr ishing looms and to which my threading blockis applied by way or example. It has. an opening 2-toreceiv'e' a fillingcarrier 3, parts of each of which are shown. The filling carrier may besecured within the opening in the shuttle in a well known manner, notillustrated herein.

During operation of the loom, the filling thread F is led from thefilling carrier through a threading block 5 to an eye 6 formed in a sideof the shuttle, from whence it is continuously drawnv The threadingblock may be made in a single piece and may comprise a rear wall I and afront wall 8. Included between the walls is a passage 9 through whichthe filling thread runs. The passage is necessarily continuous from theopening 2 to the side eye 6, and it is open at the top, except forthread traps placed at each end, to permit a filling thread readily tobe introduced into it from the top throughout the whole length thereof.

At the part nearest the opening 2, the'passage is made in axialalignment with the shuttle as indicated at [0. At the end of the passage9 adjoining the opening 2 the threading block is formed with a wall llextending substantially across it: The wall has an opening [2 therein,in alignment with the passage Ill, in which the filling thread normallyis confined. Communieating with the opening I2 is a substantiallyvertical passage 13 the other end of which terminates at the top of thewall. Projections l4 and [5 are placed partially across the passage l3and formed in a manner to permit easy access of a thread from the top ofthe wall to the opening l2, but making egress from the openingdifficult.

Within the, passage 9 and adjoining the walls 8 and I l is a plate it,placed at a slight angle to a horizontal position. The plate is setslightly above the bottom of the passage 9 and is spaced from the wall Iso that a thread may enter beneath the plate and be confined in thespace H. The opening 12, projections 14 and I5, and plate It cooperateto bring the filling to a position at the bottom of the passage 9, andto keep it there during the operation of the loom.

A friction element 28 may be inserted in, the bottom of the passage 9 toengage the filling thread and increase the tension therein an amountsufficient to cause it properly to be distributed through the shed.

An opening 29 may of the threading block corresponding in position withan opening 30 in the shuttle through which a bolt 3| may be passed, tosecure the parts together.

In progressing along the passage 9, the straight portion It merges intoa portion 11 which proceeds diagonally from the center of the shuttle ina direction outwardly and forwardly thereof toward the side deliveryeye. At'the juncture of the passages and I1, the wall 8 of the block isformed with an inclination from the vertical such that the bottom of thewall is nearer the center of the passage l'l thanis the top. The wall,then, slopes downwardly and outwardly, as shown at l8. r

The wall I, as it approaches the passage I1, is formed with a roundedtop edge 19 which leads from the level of the top of the block to thatof the side eye. The portion 20 of the wall 1, facing the passage i1, issmoothly rounded .and formed with its thread contacting surfacesinclined outwardly and downwardly, and forwardly toward the side eye.

The wall portion 20 evolves into a rounded portion 2! which issubstantially tangential to the longitudinal side of the shuttle. Formedin.

be provided in the body the portion 2| is a shallow cavity 22. The wall8 of the threading block, in the region adjacent the side eye, hasformed thereon a horn-like projection 23, which terminates close to thewall portion 2!. The end of the projection 23 is placed just within thecavity 22, sufficient space 21 being provided around the terminus of theprojection to permit a thread to pass over it and into the side eye. Theprojection 23, in cooperation with the wall portion 2| and cavity 22 1therein, forms an efficient trap to permit a thread to enter the sideeye but prevents it from escaping therefrom.

The side eye has posts 24 and 25 at each side thereof to provide asmooth running, long wearing surface for the filling thread. A post 26is placed at the juncture of the passage and H for a like purpose.

In the operation of the loom, immediately after transfer the lay movesrearwardly and an open shed is provided through which the shuttle maytravel. Since the shuttle moves rearwardly with the lay away from themagazine to which the incoming filling end is attached, the filling endassumes a position diagonal to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle. Asthe shuttle travels through the shed the filling tends also to assume aposition approximately as the middle elevation thereof. Therefore, asthe shuttle travels, the fillin end is biased toward the position of theside delivery eye.

In the unwinding from thefilling carrier presently secured in theshuttle, the filling swirls about, with the axis of the carrier as acenter. The axis of-the carrier, extended, intersects the center of theopening l2.

The action of the past the projections Hi and lS-until it becomesentrapped in the-opening I2 and under the plate l6.

One part of the tends therefrom outwardly toward the point of theshuttle and transversely toward the side eye} Both portions have forcesacting on them biasing them toward the central horizontal plane of theshuttle. Under the action of these forces the fill'-. ing enters thepassage 9 through the open top portion thereof and contacts the inclinedwalls l8 and 20. The forms of these wall portions are such as to guidethe filling through the passage 9 and toward the side-eyet. 1

On reaching the projection 23' at the eye endwill retain this positionduring the operation oi 3 the loom.

, It will be noted that the whole threading; action takes place whilethe shuttle is travelling in; one direction, thatis away fromthemagazine and;

there is no reverse motion of the shuttle necese sary to bring thefillingdown into theside'eye. It becomes apparent, therefore, that Ihave provided a threading block for a shuttle'which' will threadcompletely during the'fiightofthe, first pick after the transfer of afilling carrier 1 to it, and have provided ameans for Preventing faultyoperationof the loom resulting from-the,

filling becoming;unthreadedjirom the threading portions 10 filling onunwinding is such that it enters the vertical passage l3 and worksfilling now rests on the bottom of the passage portion l0, and anotherportion ex block on operations of the loom occurring subsee quent to thefirst pick.

Having thus described a of my invention I claim: v

1. In an automatically threading shuttle hav ing an opening therein toaccommodate a filling carrier, a, threading block secured in one end ofsaid shuttle and having a thread passage leading from said opening to aside delivery eye in the shuttle wall, said thread passage having aportion leading directly outwardly from said opening and another portioncommunicating with said first portion and leading diagonally therefromand in a forward direction to said side delivery eye, -a substantiallyvertically disposed thread guiding surface at passage portions directedoutwardly and forwardly to lead a thread toward the side delivery eye, asecond thread guiding surface in said diagonally disposed passagecooperating with said first thread guiding surface to lead the threadinto the side delivery eye, a projection formed on one side of saiddiagonally disposed passage at the part thereof adjacent the sidedelivery eye and extending across said passage above said eyesubstantially to, but in spaced relationship with, the other side ofsaid passage, an opening between said projection and said other side ofsaid diagonally disposed passage through which a thread may enter thejection being disposed to prevent a thread from entering said diagonallydisposed passage from said side eye, the parts of said thread passagebeing disposed to cause the thread from the filling carrier to enter thesaid side delivery eye of the shuttle during the first pick thereofafter transfer.

2. An automatically threading shuttle for an automatic fillingreplenishing loom, said shuttle having an opening therein to receive afilling preferred embodiment side delivery eye, said prothe juncture ofsaid two carrier, a side delivery eye in the shuttle near one endthereof, and a threading block having a thread passage communicatingwith said opening and said delivery eye, said thread passage being openat the top and having substantially vertically disposed thread guidingsurfaces, said passage being formed to lead a thread outwardly from saidopening and thence diagonally, forwardly and outwardly, to said deliveryeye, said substantially vertically disposed surfaces being directedforwardly and outwardly to lead the thread into the side delivery eye,an obstruction placed substantially across said thread passage adjacentsaid side eye and having an opening there-through to enable a threadeasily to enter said side eye but preventing a thread from becomingdisengaged therefrom, a plate across the end of said thread passagenearest said opening in said shuttle, said plate having a verticalopening therein communicating with the top of said thread passage,projections extending transversely of said vertical opening from oneside thereof and inclined downwardly, said projections being in spacedrelationship with the other side of said vertical opening and arrangedto permit a thread to descend to the bottom of said thread passage, aprojecting member in said thread passage placed in a position outwardlyof said plate, said member extending partially across said threadpassage near the bottom thereof and inclined outwardly and downwardlytoward the bottom of said thread passage, a space between the bottom ofsaid thread passage and said inclined member to accommodate the thread,said thread passage and the elements associated therewith being designedto cause the thread from the filling carrier to enter the side deliveryeye of the shuttle on the first pick thereof after transfer.

ISAAC SNOW.

